***

This is just a little side ficlet that I wrote in honor of Woodstock's 40th anniversary. So I have Rick listening to awesome 60's music.

It takes place outside of the "Some With Arrows, Some With Traps" universe.

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own any of the songs mentioned. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Horatio was pissed, real pissed. Stetler had some nerve to bring Kyle under investigation. And being under suspicion for stealing jewelry off corpses, no less. This was ridiculous. He didn't care that Kyle was the only one at that time working in the morgue with a "criminal history"; Kyle was still Horatio's son.

Grumbling, he stormed into the elevator and jabbed the third floor button. He was going to go up to Stetler's office and tell him off himself. Exactly what he could use to threaten Stetler Horatio was unsure of. He used to pull the "You Beat My Sister-In Law" card, but that well was starting to run a little dry. Shrugging, he decided to just inform Stetler that he had sunk to a new low in this little game of personal vengeance he was playing. If Stetler really wanted to be lieutenant, then he probably should have worked at it a little harder.

Ding. Third Floor: Internal Affairs.

Horatio caught the attention of a good handful of IAB agents as he stepped off the elevator, his blue eyes flashing angrily at them. They quickly cleared a path to Sgt. Rick Stetler's office, figuring he was playing one of his favorite games; they called it "Annoy the Hell out Of Horatio".

The red haired lieutenant pulled open Stetler's door, not giving a damn about his privacy. His entrance, however, went unnoticed by Rick, who was sitting at his desk with his headphones jacked into his laptop.

"Stetler," Horatio said sharply from the doorway.

Rick didn't respond. His head was nodding around to whatever he was listening to; he also appeared to me mouthing along to the words.

"Stetler," Horatio tried again, a little louder as he walked into the room.

There was still no response. Lieutenant Caine slammed the door shut behind him, trying still to get Rick's attention. That failed too.

"Stetler!" Horatio shouted as he approached him, leaning on his desk.

It was no use; Rick had let his eyes drift shut and was lightly swaying away to whatever the hell he was listening to. Horatio glared impatiently down on him, drumming his fingers in irritation as Rick began lip syncing to his music again.

Fed up with Rick's behavior, Horatio wrapped his hand around the base of the headphone jack and yanked it out of the laptop. The same music that once filled Stetler's head now filled the room at an incredible volume, making Horatio jump.

"And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Next stop is Vietnam".

A protest song from the 60's? That was at best unexpected, but then he never really thought much on the possibilities of Rick's musical taste. It didn't seem to fit the Stetler he knew. But then, the only song that did fit the Stetler he knew was The Imperial March, he often found himself humming it when Rick wandered though the CSI labs.

Rick pulled the ear bud out, glaring at it like it was to blame for the music no longer flowing into his head. Finally he noticed Horatio, who was left staring wide eyed at the laptop. Stetler reached over and turned down the music.

"May I help you, Lieutenant Caine?" He asked, smirking at Horatio's confusion.

Deciding to think on Rick's musical tastes later, the redhead returned to the task at hand. "Why, Stetler, did you perform an internal investigation on my son?!"

Rick nodded, figuring that Horatio might confront him on this sooner or later. He wanted them to have a calm and civilized conversation for once.

"Sit down, Horatio".

"I will not sit down!"

Well, so much for a civilized conversation.

"You have to see things from my perspective," Rick sighed, "it is reported that bodies are coming up short on jewelry. I have to find who has been robbing the bodies. I first look to the only person who handles the bodies and has a criminal record. You would do the same thing, Horatio".

"This isn't about your case or procedure or anything like that," Horatio snapped, "You're still upset that I made Lieutenant and you didn't. Now I told you before, this is something between you and I. Don't being my lab into this and do not - I repeat: do NOT- drag my son into this. Is that understood?"

Rick felt his heart sink a little. All he wanted, all he ever wanted, was to have a close relationship with Horatio. He knew that prying at Horatio's lab and investigating his son was really the wrong way to go about starting a relationship with someone. But when he pisses the other man off enough he comes to visit and have a little chat. Okay, maybe 'little chat' was a poor choice of words. The more accurate term would be 'shouting match'.

Truth is Rick was incredibly attracted to Horatio. He loves how Horatio always walks into work in an Armani suit; it clings very nicely to his body. He loves how he sometimes opens the first several buttons on his shirt, exposing a bit of chest. He loves Horatio's soft and pale skin, which, aside from a few lines of wisdom, always looks so smooth and flawless to him. He loves Horatio's head of beautiful red hair, wanting to run his fingers through it. He usually stops listening to Horatio during his lectures and just starts playing with the idea and fact that Horatio is absolutely naked under his thin layers of clothing. Rick wonders, during these fantasies, how much of Horatio's body is covered with soft red ha-

"-Are you listening to me?" Horatio snapped, pulling Rick back down to earth.

"Something about Kyle?" Rick guessed, embarrassed that Horatio noticed he wasn't paying attention.

"Don't. Ever. Mess with him. Again," Horatio fumed.

"Ah, Kyle, yes," Rick nodded, "I stand by my decision. But I hope that I will have to continue my investigations with someone else".

"I am going to sit here until you apologize," Horatio growled, pulling up a chair to the side of the desk opposite Rick.

"I'm not going to apologize, Horatio," Rick groaned, "I stand by my decision".

"I'm not letting you leave here until you admit you're wrong".

"Fine," Rick shrugged, "I can wait all day".

"So can I," Horatio said bluntly as he turned off his cell phone.

Rick turned back to the papers that littered his desk, wondering how long Horatio will actually hang around. But before he could think on that any longer Horatio reached out and scooped up ever piece of paper on the desk, throwing them down on the floor.

"Horatio, you're being childish," Rick sighed.

"This is your stupid little game we're playing, Rick. Not mine," Horatio said angrily, "And if I'm not getting any work done, neither will you".

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine", Rick grumbled, crossing his arms.

The two men stared at each other, Horatio in anger and Rick in longing. The music was still playing from Rick's laptop, now the only sound that swelled in the quiet room. A slow song started up.

"I should laugh, but I cry because your love has passed me by. You took me by surprise; you didn't realize that I was waiting".

Oh God, Rick thought, I forgot this was on here. This is so fucking awkward. But it's too late for me to turn it off now.

He watched as Horatio's eyes darted around the room, he was obviously made a little uncomfortable. One of them had to crack soon, especially if this song kept up. They sat there, glaring at each other and squirming slightly as the music played on. After what felt like hours the song ended. That was the longest two minutes and 42 seconds of Rick's life.

Horatio stared at the laptop, wondering if he should just admit defeat before another slow song popped up. Rick wondered if he should make the effort to turn off the laptop. But he didn't. He wanted another slow song to come on. He enjoyed watching Horatio shift uncomfortably in his chair, it made him feel like he had complete control over the situation. He thought that maybe, with this music, he might be able to make Horatio think – if just for a second- of what it would be like to be in a relationship with him. He looked over to the screen, knowing that the next song wouldn't be as kind to him. Discretely, Rick reached into his desk drawer for the remote and skipped over the next song, the one after it also being another slow one.

"Look over yonder", the laptop sang sweetly, "what do you see?"

Rick smiled to himself. Out of all Horatio's appealing features, his beautiful azure eyes always managed to steal Rick's breath the most. "Crystal Blue Persuasion" never failed to remind him of Horatio. He locked his eyes with the lieutenant. It was now a contest to see who would break first.

"The sun is rising most definitely. A new day is coming, people are changin'. Ain't it beautiful: crystal blue persuasion?"

Horatio drummed his fingers nervously, realizing that he no longer had control over the situation. He gazed into Rick's soft brown eyes, wondering why Stetler was looking at him like he was made of delicious candy. Rick had clasped his hands together in front of his mouth in an attempt to hide the stupid grin he was now sporting. But his smile was still seen in his eyes.

"Better get ready to see the light, love is the answer and that's alright. So don't you give up now, it's so easy to find: just look to your soul and open your mind".

This was getting a little too creepy for Horatio. Giving up for now on his plan to avenge his son's injustice, Horatio bent down and picked up Rick's papers. Rick looked sadly down on the other man; he didn't expect the game to end so soon.

"Crystal blue persuasion: it's a new vibration. Crystal blue persuasion, crystal blue persuasion".

Horatio placed the papers back on Stetler's desk in a neat little pile.

"Believe me," Horatio said during the interlude, trying to cover up how uneasy he was, "I have not finished with you yet, Rick".

"I didn't expect you to be".

Horatio stood up and started on his way to the door, wanting to get the hell out of there. Rick, not wanting Horatio to leave so soon rose out of his chair and followed him.

"Maybe tomorrow when he looks down, every green field and every town…"

Horatio jiggled the door knob, completely forgetting that most of the older doors in the building lock automatically. He heard the soft jingle of keys behind him. He spun around and was face to face with Rick, looking innocently down at him.

"All of his children of every nation…"

Horatio and Rick were mere inches apart, looking into each other's eyes. Trying to be as discreet as possible, Horatio reached behind him and tried the doorknob again. Nope, still locked. Rick smirked at the redhead, wanting to pin him to the door and kiss every inch of him. But he knew he had to let the other man out.

"There'll be peace and good…"

Stetler reached around Horatio, bringing their bodies together as his hand reached for the doorknob. The redhead froze, unable to turn his gaze from Rick's eyes. Rick had never been so forward with him before, and what's best is that Horatio just thought that this was part of the mind games they played.

"…Brotherhood…"

Rick unlocked the door, but both men stood still; their chests pressed together and their legs touching. Held in the grip of the music's fermata, they kept eye contact. Neither was able to breathe and time seemed to stand still. Rick's mouth had never been so close to Horatio's. Without thinking, Stetler moistened his lips as he looked hungrily down at the other man.

"…Crystal blue persuasion".

The music came back to tempo and the men came back to reality. Rick backed away, suddenly not sure what came over him. Horatio grasped for the doorknob again and bolted out of the office. Standing there, watching the door swing shut, Rick smiled at the thought of what had almost happened. He shrugged, walking back to his desk as the music faded away. Perhaps there shall be a next time. Perhaps…

***

Music credits:

"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin-To-Die Rag" – Country Joe

"Laughing" – The Guess Who

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" – Tommy James